Wealden Pullman at Cranbrook Road

A very pleasant day on the KESR at Cranbrook Road supervising a trainee working the crossing gates. Not such an easy day for the trainee though as most of his time between trains was spent doing signalman's training test papers (ah, I remember them fondly) and the written crossing practical questions. All on such a fine day.

He did get out of the box to signal trains over the crossing from time to time and here he is authorising the down Wealden Pullman which was in charge of two Terrier locomotives. I must say the two locos were a fine sight at the head of this magnificent train. And having a trainee meant that I had a little more time to take photographs.

These two engines caused a bit of excitement at the end of the day when they were returning up Tenterden bank and over the crossing working hard, ejecting huge amounts of ash and cinders from their chimneys some of which covered us like a volcanic eruption but also started two lineside fires either side of the crossing.

So we had to put into practice the answer to the "what would you do if you spotted a lineside fire" question on the crossing practical, ringing the Tenterden signalman to tell him what had happened, going out with beaters and water to put out the fire, reporting back to Tenterden and writing the incident in the occurrence book.